THE CALIFOR}.IIA LUMBERMERCHANT Lumber andisawmill \(/orkers Strike at Los Angeles Yard---Closed Shop Demanded

On Tuesday, Iuly 5, the Lumber & Sawmill Workers IJnion, A.F.L., went on strike at the big retail lumber yard of the Owens-Parks Lumber Company, in Los Angeles, and formed a picket li,ne about the entrances, which is still in effect as this is written. So far no violence of any sort has developed, on the contrary very good feeling being manifested between the officials of the company and the strikers.

So far no other yard in Los Angeles has been affected. The union evidently selected Owens-Parks as a test efiort. The question at issue is strictly the demand of the union for a closed shop. Owens-Parks has been paying the union wage scale, and neither wages nor working conditions are at stake in this strike, since it has been r1orking its men under exactly the same wage and working conditions as have the other major lumber operators in the city. The company is standing pat in its refusal to accept the closed shop, and the other major lumber yards in Los Angeles are standing as a solid unit with them. It is understood that the yards are unanimous in their attitude on this subject.

On July 72, Mr. Ray Melin, president of the Owens-Parks Lumber Company, made public the following statement concerning the week-old strike: "There is no justifiable reason for Owens-Parks to be singled out for this strike action. This company has been and still is paying exactly the same wages with identical working conditions as other major Los Angeles lumber dealers. The strike does not have the support of a majority of the industry's workers. No dispute exists as to wage scales and union leaders refused to consider even minor adjustments until we had agreed to preferential hiring, so the only issue is that of the closed shop.

"This agreement would prohibit our hiring any man not a union member with dues paid up. The company does not feel justified in becoming a party to a contract which in effect closes the door of employment and locks out many taxpaying American citizens for the special benefit of a few. The strike is for the primary purpose of forcing us to accept individually a closed-shop program, ivhich chosen negotiators for the industry, representing our company and sorne forty other dealers, would not agree to collectively. Union leaders broke off negotiations and are now trying to reach this un-American goal of closed shop by calling strikes on dealers one by one. The strike against Owens-Parks is clearly discriminatory. Other lumber concerns still working employes affiliated with the striking union, and taking exactly the same position in favor of the open shop which we have, are permitted to continue operations unmolested."

Reopens Mill

Independent union men, augmented by other citizens, chased CIO unionists and organizers from Westwood, Calif., on July 13, climaxing a wage dispute which resulted in CIO unionists striking luly 7, at The Red River Lumber Company mill.

The plant was closed Monday, July 11, to prevent disturbances between workers and pickets when an estimated 1000 men, members of the Industrial Employes' IJnion which is recognized by the company and who had refused to strike, filed into the plant after the picket line at the gate was broken.

The company reopened the mill July 14 and invited all its workers, including CIO strikers, to return to their jobs. The company announced it would give work to "all those actively employed as of July 7, 1938."

HARRY HANSON WrTH R.J.M.

Harry V. Hanson, formerly with California Panel & Veneer Company, Los Angeles, for many years, is now associated with The R.J.M. Company, Los Angeles, as manager of their plywood department, effective July 1.

Many of his friends have congratulated him on getting back into the plywood business.